Benefits of Skin to Skin

-Mothers are more likely to be breastfeeding at 1-4 months post birth

-Mothers are more likely to bond with their newborns (based on a study that followed up with moms and babies after one year)

-Breastfeeding is longer, more effective, and more exclusive for babies who had skin to skin

-Mothers are less likely to experience breast engorgement and pain at 3 days postpartum

-Mothers are less likely to have anxiety

-Mothers are more likely to have satisfaction with their birth experience

-Babies have more effective suckling while breastfeeding

-Babies are more likely to have stable heart rate, breathing, blood sugar, and oxygen

-Babies are 12 times more likely to cry if they do not have skin to skin

SKIN TO SKIN IS PURE MAGIC

Ideal skin to skin starts within one minute of the birth, lasting 2 hours and after the baby has breastfed.

Both WHO and UNICEF recommend that all healthy newborns have immediate skin to skin for at least one hour- regardless of if that baby was born vaginally or by c section.

There are some hospitals that routinely do skin to skin for healthy newborns- this means they do most assessments and newborn screening while the baby is skin to skin with mom, or after the baby has had skin to skin and breastfed. These hospitals are considered “baby friendly”. 

In the state of Washington, 57% of hospitals practice early (within 30 minutes) skin to skin after a vaginal birth, at 42% after a cesarean birth. Only 37% of hospitals stated that they do routine procedures skin to skin. You can find these stats for your state by googling “CDC Mpinc survey” and your state. 

Many hospitals will allow immediate skin to skin, even if it is not routine for them. You will likely need to remind them multiple times if it is not typical for the staff (my doula helped me remember to remind the staff at one of my births!)